In the internet marketing industry, you will often hear this: “The Money is in the list”. This is only partially true. The money is earned by building relationship, communicating and sharing content with the list.

In our online business, the list refers to the email database that you have and I highly encourage anyone who is looking to build this business for long term revenue to have their own list regardless of which segment of the market you are targeting. Even in the offline business, company collects your email address and phone number in order to contact you and follow up with you.

In order to have a list, there are 2 ways to do it. 1) Build a list 2) Buy a list.

Today, I want to discuss with you why you should never buy a list. Below are the 3 main reasons on why you should never buy a list to kickstart your business.

1) Unknown Quality Of Subscribers

You will never know if the list is legitimate or not. The seller can claim various ways of building his list and offers you the screenshot of open rates and click through rates. But, do not believe everything he says, the screenshots can be fake.

In addition, you do not know if the list is updated or if the list is interested in the niche that you are in. When you buy a list, you are not buying the autoresponder account of the seller but just the email database that he had collected. Hence, there is no way to tell exactly the quality of the list.

2) The list does not know you

When you buy a list from another person and start emailing them, they will think who is this guy? Did I subscribe to his emails?

The chances of getting marked as spam increase because they do not know who you are and they will not know how you got their email address. The chances of them opening your emails decrease too. That will mean the subscribers will not be reading your emails and clicking on the links which is something that you do not want. Overall, you will get a poor response rate.

3) The list probably did not make any money for the seller

If the list is making money for the seller, he probably will still hold onto his list even though he already “sells” you the list. If not, it is likely that the list is not making him any money and that’s why he likes to sell it away. That will also mean that he may be selling the same list to another buyer too.

If you think about it logically, regardless of the reason, would you be selling something away that is profitable for you? It is quite unlikely. If the list is already not making money for the seller, it may be more difficult for you to make money from the same list.

Buying a list may seem as an easy way to start your own business quickly but it will not be effective in the long run. Instead, build your own list and grow a relationship with them. This way, it will be more sustainable and profitable for your online business. So, start building your list today!

One of the ways to earn money online is to build an email list and do email marketing to profit. Email marketing can be applied to both online and offline businesses.

In fact, having a list of your prospects and customers is a must have, and very much an asset to any business, be it online or off.

On the internet, you can easily build an email list, or “database”, of subscribers and customers with a simple landing page (AKA “squeeze page”) or with an email capture form on your blog or website.

Although promotions of products is necessary to create revenue, we also need to provide value to our email list of subscribers.

It’s not only about offering your subscribers different types of products to buy, but also understanding their needs and helping them solve their problems!

This is part of the process where you “build a good relationship” with your email list.

Building a good relationship with your email list is not an overnight affair and needs to be done consistently. Whether your lists of subscribers are freebie seekers, paid customers, or newsletter subscribers, there are ways you can provide them with value.

Here are 3 simple methods you can apply immediately:

Method #1: Providing Valuable Content

Content is “KING” on the internet. When you provide valuable content and information, your subscribers will be able to get informed and educated.

If you truly want to help your subscribers, you want them to be able to solve their deepest problems. You can email your subscribers tips and tricks on how to do deal with certain issues or point them to useful resources that can help them.

Method #2: Survey And Feedback

To truly understand your subscribers, you need to gather information about what they want.

You can conduct a survey, poll or simply ask them for feedback in your emails. Remember, your subscribers are humans too, not just an email address.

You can use free tools such as Google Online Forms or Survey Monkey to get their feedback. For example, you can list down a few issues that you think is the most pressing for your topic and ask your subscribers to rank these issues. Once you know what is it they want help in, you can offer suitable products and services as solutions. This matches the problems faced to potential solutions which helps you make much more revenue in your business.

Method #3: Sharing About Yourself And Your Experiences

Believe me, one of the best ways to build a good relationship with your email list is simply to show them you’re a real person just like them! Your subscribers and customers want to know WHO is writing the emails, show yourself, have a personality. Build trust.

Too many marketers hide behind their emails and chose to remain “faceless”.

For example, you can put a photo of yourself in your emails as a sign off. This is simple but powerful.

It’s an easy way to connect and build rapport with your list.

Here’s an example:

In your emails, you can also share some parts of your personal life and experiences . This makes you REAL and believable.

Similarly, sharing valuable lessons you had personally experienced can be very beneficial to your list as a way to learn from someone else’s mistakes and successes.

So these are 3 easy ways you can use to build a good relationship with your email list of subscribers and customers. Try them out now!

Finally, always remember that each of your subscribers is unique and a real human being. Treat them well and respect them and they will do the same to you.

Read About Ewen Chia

Hey guys, this is Ewen Chia, I've been marketing online since 1997 and have helped thousands of … [Read More...]

Ewen Chia
is a Internet Addict. Marketing Online Since 1997. International Speaker and
Trainer. #1 International Bestselling Author of "How I Made My First Million
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